


Lunch with the Enemy

by PrussianInAmerica



Series: Resurrection Isn't as Fun as it Used to Be [2]
Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: M/M, past relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-27
Updated: 2013-08-27
Packaged: 2017-12-24 20:08:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/944118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrussianInAmerica/pseuds/PrussianInAmerica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Steve has a grilled cheese, Carlos doesn't eat when he's supposed to, and a story is told.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lunch with the Enemy

**Author's Note:**

> I actually started writing this long before I got the idea for The Only Thing They They Took Away, and originally it was going to be Steve giving Carlos advice on how not to piss Cecil off, but then this happened.
> 
> I don't own Night Vale, as I'm still not awesome enough.

It was... Odd, being out of Night Vale, after so long. It wasn't that he didn't _want_ to get out, because he most certainly did, but if he just _left_ he would be leaving a lot of unfinished business behind. He'd be leaving _Cecil_ behind. Maybe one day he'd be able to leave for good, but today he was just out for lunch. And if he told a seldom heard story to someone who needed to know it while he was at it, that was his own business and it was lucky they weren't in Night Vale for Cecil to see them together.

"Carlos!" Steve waved the scientist over to his table, feeling that horrible sensation in his chest again. Of being alone, rejected. But he'd had years to get used to the feeling, so he ignored it.

Carlos looked wary as he sat down across from him. No doubt Cecil had told him plenty of things about _Steve Carlsberg_ , and why he should just stay away from him.

"I hope you don't mind, but I already ordered for myself. If I knew you better I would have ordered for you, as well." Steve explained as a waitress sat a grilled cheese in front of him. It'd been so long since he'd gotten to have a normal grilled cheese. The ban on wheat and wheat by-products was still in place in Night Vale.

"It's fine. Can you tell me why I'm here?"

"In what sense? In the 'Why was I put in this great world' sense? The-"

"The 'Why did you ask me to lunch two towns away from Night Vale' sense."

Steve took a bite of his grilled cheese and chewed it carefully, looking Carlos in the eye as he thought of the best way to start. "I died." was what he came up with.

"What?"

"A few years ago. I was in an accident and I died."

"You mean you almost died. Cecil told me about it. He said they all thought you hadn't made it, but you were fine the next day."

"Did he tell you he was in the accident with me? Because I can guarantee he left that out." Carlos stared at him. "It's not his fault. He doesn't remember it. Or what he did."

"What do you mean?"

"How about I start from the beginning? You might want to order some food." Steve flagged down their waitress and Carlos ordered (salad. Boring. You could get those in Night Vale easily. [Although, sometimes they were sentient...](http://archiveofourown.org/works/938096)).

Steve started again when Carlos had his lunch. "I went to high school with Cecil. I was a grade ahead of him, but as small as that school was back then we saw each other every day. He hated me." Steve laughed a little as he thought of a younger Cecil standing up on tip-toe to yell at him. "One day he just snapped and kissed me. We were together until the accident.

"You know, it's funny. I still don't remember what caused the accident. It isn't as if I can ask Cecil. He doesn't remember anything about except what people told him. I woke up late that night. I only know what happened between the accident and then because Cecil told me.

"I died. He bought me to the City Council, and asked them to bring me back. He filed the paper work and he sacrificed what they asked him to. He stayed with me that night and after he fell asleep I brought him to his own house and put him in bed. When he woke up, he didn't remember anything. He'll never know what he sacrificed, or what he had. In his mind, he's always hated me."

Carlos hadn't touched his salad.

"I don't what you to think I'm telling you this because I'm jealous of how Cecil feels about you, or that I'm trying to say that he doesn't love you. Cecil loves wholeheartedly. And I'm so glad he was able to find you. The last thing I want is for him to be alone.

"I'm telling you because of what happened with the city under Teddy William's place. You can't do that again. Cecil will just bring you back and I can't stand to see him like that again. So no dying. Okay?"

Carlos nodded, staring at the table. Steve stole a crouton from his salad.

"I know that's a lot to take in. Feel free to call me up if you have any questions." Steve stood up and patted the scientist's shoulder. "Treat him right, outsider. I'll know if you don't." and on that slightly menacing note, he payed for his lunch and started the quiet drive back to Night Vale.

Ten minutes from home he turned on the radio and smiled when Cecil's voice filled the car like it used to.


End file.
